Klatt



C. D. PLATT.

SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 10, i915.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

these parts is effected in the present disclogage 'in bearing openings43 in the lower ends of the side portions 26. One of the bearingopenings a3 is shown provided with an entrance slot 4% opening thereintoto .admit one of the lugs 42 after the other lug 4:2 has been engaged inthe other bearing opening. The contact-making lever cooperates withsuitable contact devices, said devices consisting in the presentdisclosure of two relatively spaced apart contacts 45 which are bridgedby the contact-making lever.

The snap action is secured by a spring 47 having its lower end engagedwith a loop 48 formed on the lower or free end of the contact-makinglever and its upper end anchored at a point above the pivotal connectionbetween the two levers. In the illustration the upper end of the springis hooked over the pivot pin 29. This spring, thus connected constitutesthe two levers of a spring toggle as will be evident from Fig. 3.

The contact-making lever, swinging as it does below the stop bars 16 and17 is limited in its movement by engagement with the lower edges ofthese stop bars.

The operation will be clear from the-fore going. lVhen the push button33. in Fig. 3 for instance, is depressed the switch operating lever willbe rocked to straighten out the toggle constituted by the two levermembers and as soon as the central point is reached the spring will actto throw the contact-making lever overtoward the left with a quick snapmovement and into forcible engagement with the relatively stationarycontacts. 'hen the other switch button is depressed an opposite movementwill be effected and the circuit will be broken with a quick movement.It will be noted that in breaking the circuit the spreading action ofthe toggle will have the effect of causing the contact-making lever toslide over the surface of the contact and thereby wipe the contact freei any foreign matter. In this sliding action the contacthas a compoundmovement embodying first a con'lparatively straight forward or outwardmovement and then a partial rotary movement which tends to free thecontact lover of the stationary contacts and give it a start on itsswinging movement. This is due to the fact that as the operating leverrocks on its pivot, the pivotal connection between the two levers swingsin a circular path, first forcing the contact-making lever outward,causing it to slide over the stop bar and then rocking the lever on thestop bar as a. fulcrum. As the lever fulvrums on the stop bar thecontact end ofine lever swings in a substantially circular path tendingto free it of the contactsrand to give it a start preliminary to I i thesnap movement given it by the spring.

The switch parts are preferably protected by a cover. 50 closing theopen end of the hollow switch base and held in place in the illustrationby being seated on a shoulder 51 on the base beneath the supporting bar8. TIPS cover is provided with opening 52 for the push buttons.

It will be evident that the invention may, be embodied in differentkinds of switches. In Fig. 6 for instance the switch movement is shownapplied to a pendant type of switch. Here the support is designated 55,

the oscillating switch lever 56, and the contact-making lever 57, theparts operating as before described, except that in this case. the

switch operating lever is provided with a projecting lug 58 at thecenter thereof which engages at '59 with a double-ended push button 60extending through the shell 61 of the switch.

.What I claim is 1. In a quick throw switch, an insulating base, asupport mounted on said insulating base, a rocking switch operatihglever pivoted on said support having side arms extending in oppositedirections from the point of pivotal support and angularly extendingarms dependent from the point of pivotal support, stops carried by thesupport on opposite sides of the pivotal center of the operating leverand disposed beneath the side arms of said operating lever to be engagedthereby and limit the throw of said operating lever, a contact makinglever pivoted to the dependent arms of the switch operating lever andswinging to opposite sides into engagement with the stops on thesupport, a spring connected on its lower end to'the free end of thecontact making lever and anchored on its upper end at a point above thepivotal connections between the levers and push buttons connected to therespective side arms of the switch operating lever.

2. In a quick throw switch, a support having pivot lugs and spaced apartstop bars disposed at opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said lugs, arocking switch-operating lever pivoted on said lugs and limited in itsrocking movements by engagement with the upper sides of said stop bars,a dependent contact-making lever pivoted to said switchoperating leverbelow the pivotal support of said switch-operating lever and limited inits swinging movements by engagement with the under sides ofthe stopbars and a spring connection between the free lower end of the swingingcontact-making lever and a point above the connection between the twolevers to thereby constitute said two levers a spring toggle.

3.*In a quick throw switch, a support having attaching lugs at the endsthereof, spaced upstanding pivot lugs between the attaching lugs anddependent arms at opposite sides of the pivot lugs carrying stop bars, arocking switchoperating lever pivotally ,supported between the pivotlugs and limited in its rocking movements by'engagement with the uppersides of said stop bars, a dependent contact-making lever pivoted tosaid switch operating lever below the pivotal support of saidswitch-operating lever and limited in its swinging movements byengagement-with the under sides of the stop bars and a spring connectionbetween the free lower end of the swinging contactmaking lever and apoint above the connection between the two levers to thereby constitutesaidtwo levers a spring toggle.

4. In a quick throw switch, a support hav ing spaced apart pivot lugsand spaced stop bars disposed at opposite sides of the pivotal axis ofsaid lugs, a rocking switch-operating lever having spaced side portionspivotally engaged. between the spaced pivot lugs and oppositelyextending arms engaging the upper sides of the stop bars to limit therocking movements of said lever, a dependent contact-making lever havingspaced sides pivoted to the spaced side portions of the switch-operatinglever and a spring connection between the free end of the contact- 1making lever and a point above the pivotal connec ion between the twolevers.

5. in a quick throw switch, a support having spaced apart pivot lugs andspaced stop bars disposed at opposite sides of the pivotal axis of saidlugs, a rocking switchoperating lever having spaced side portionsengaged between the spaced pivot lugs and oppositely extending arms toengage the upper sides of the stop bars, a pivot pin passed through thepivot lugs and the spaced side portions of the switch-operating lever, adependent contact-making lever having spaced sides pivoted to the spacedside portions of the switch-operating lever and an attachment loop onthe lower end thereof and a spring connected to the pivot pin at itsupper end and to said attachment loop at its lower end.

6. In an electric switch, a support, a switch operating lever pivoted onsaid support and provided with spaced dependent side portions,a*contactmaking lever having spaced sides pivotally engaged with theside portions of the switch operating lever, one of said levers havingbearing openings in the side portions thereof and the other of saidlevers having angularly projecting lugs for engagement in said bearingopenlngs, one of said bearing openings having an entrance slot outthereinto from the edge of the member in which it is formed to receivethe angular lug on the other member, and a spring connection between thefree end of the contact-making lever and a point above the pivotalconnection between the two levers. CLARENCE D. PLATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washinzton, D. G. a

